Law Serves 'Honor Killings'; A Human Rights Organization Reports Release of a Killer One Week After Arrest

A human rights organization has reported the release of a father who killed his daughter just one week after his arrest. The Hengaw Human Rights Organization has learned that Mohammad Rezaei, who was detained for the murder of his daughter 'Dunya', was released from prison a week after his arrest. According to the report, it has been 'said' that the killer's wife and the victim's mother facilitated this release by expressing their consent. The human rights organization stated that although 'the public aspect of the crime of murder is much more pronounced than its private aspect', 'it is unclear how the local prosecutor issued permission for the father's release'. Dunya Rezaei, 19 years old, was killed by her father on Saturday, April 16, 2023, at their family home in Kermanshah. This human rights organization cited 'informed sources' stating that the reason for the murder was the parents' dissatisfaction with their daughter's continued education. In recent years, so-called 'honor killings' have been one of the challenges addressed by civil rights activists and lawyers. Issuing sentences such as short-term imprisonments or conditional releases for parents of killers who are considered 'guardians' has been a contentious issue in recent years. Pegah Bani Hashemi, a lawyer, previously told 'Voice of America' that discriminatory laws in Iran lead to 'honor killings' and violence against women. The murder of 14-year-old Romina Ashrafi by her father with a 'sickle' is one of the controversial cases in recent years. Her murder received significant attention both inside and outside Iran, and from the outset, civil activists predicted that this murder would result in a 'light sentence' for the killer under the laws of the Islamic Republic. A few months after this 'horrific murder', Romina Ashrafi's mother, Rana Dashti, announced that according to the court's ruling, Romina's father was sentenced to 9 years in prison and ordered to pay blood money, as well as an additional 2 years in prison for disturbing public opinion. This ruling was met with widespread reactions. Another similar case involved the murder of Mona, a young woman from Ahvaz, by her husband. Sajjad Heydarno, her 17-year-old husband, killed Mona and displayed her severed head in the street. The publication of this image on social media provoked significant reactions. After a while, Masoud Setayesh, the spokesperson for the judiciary, announced the closure of this case, stating: 'The heirs of the deceased forgave, and the private aspect of the case has been concluded.' According to Setayesh, in the public aspect of this case, the primary defendant was sentenced to 7.5 years of imprisonment for intentional assault and an additional 8 months for public disturbance. The 'discriminatory' laws and issues related to what is referred to as 'honor killings' are contentious topics in Iran. These murders are not officially reported by authorities, and only the police refer to family-related murders as the cause and motivation for these crimes. However, academic articles and theses have reported annual statistics of between 375 to 450 honor killings in Iran. Additionally, one domestic news agency reported in a report published in December 2019 that according to some studies, about 20% of all murders and 50% of family murders in Iran are 'honor-related'.